That’s about as much parody as you’re going to get*
I’m terminally bored (ok I’m not literally terminally bored, if so I wouldn’t be asking what I’m going to ask. It just looks better to say ‘terminally bored’ than just ‘bored’ ok?)
I used to code. I am a qualified coder of code. (well ‘Engineer’ of ‘Software’ to be precise) I was good at it, and I could do it for hours at a time, weeding out bugs, tidying up code, making it more efficient.
I write macros at work, and I’ve a bit of a reputation. I’m the only person there who can create a macro to do a useful job from scratch. The others can only add code on instruction from tech support people from the company who’s system the macros work on. And even that’s simple cut and paste jobbies.
But the macros are basically glorified dos batch macros (they are about as versatile). They have nowhere near the power of C++, or even BASIC.
But (again) when writing macros I begin with a problem and the macro is a solution.
The problem I have at home for programming is that I don’t have a problem. So I have no reason to make a solution.
So what I am asking is this: I want to make stuff in Borland Builder (6) to fight boredom, but I have no ideas. I am useless at ‘creating’ a problem for which to make a solution (our work system on the contrary is extremely adept at creating problems for me to write solutions for) so I am asking fellow dopers (coders and general good ideaists) to suggest some ‘problems’ for me to write a solution for
[sub]*It tried to be a parody on my 'Should I take up smoking? mindfart, but the subject matter is too dissimilar to take the parody much beyond the title, for instance my other thread started with “I’ve never smoked in my life”[/sub]
[sub]*I feel like Alan Partridge lately. I’m not ‘explaining my joke’ but providing an explanation for those who might not know what the heck I mean by “That’s about as much parody as you’re going to get”; Those who didn’t see that thread
I’ll probably be along in a few more minutes to explain some other lame-ass problem with my post[/sub]
Do you use linux? Here are a couple of things from my wish list:
A nice QT front end for gnuplot
PICO with syntax highlighting
A simple developer studio made with ncurses (using say the syntax highlighted PICO, gcc, and gdb): this would allow me to do some development over a network.
maybe they already have the above?
I also have a big-ass project that I was originally looking at for windows. In fact at one point I had a guy who made a fortune with microsoft willing to invest a million dollars for a year development time until his techie buddy decided it would take too long and be difficult to market. I was thinking it might make a fun sourceforge project, but I don’t have the time or expertise to organise, code and get an internet crew to also code (I am mainly a fortran computational physics coder). If you are really interested in something of that magnitude, I could send you my (non-technical) powerpoint presentation by email.
Eh? He’s correct–if you want an editor with syntax highlighting that can run on a terminal, emacs’ll do the job. And if you want a PICO mode to give you the keybindings and such it wouldn’t be difficult. emacs lisp is a nice language, if a bit funky with the dynamic scope.
Ooh, now there’s an idea. I’d kill for a straight tank combat mod for UT2k4. Just basically tank only deathmatch (like the old Atari 2600 Combat game). I’d do it myself, even, because it couldn’t possibly be that difficult to implement, but I suck.
How about coding up some puzzle solvers. Years back I did one to solve those number puzzles where there is a grid with equations, and you have to fill in numbers 1 - 9 to make all the equations work. When I have time I’m going to write JavaScript to solve paint by number puzzles. There are magazines of math games that might be fun to work on.
It kind of spoils the puzzle for you afterwards, but it is a nice, constrained, problem, with some interesting algorithm development. It might also force you to be efficient.
